Testing tool



Patented Jan, 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOU .IBRESWELL HEARLE AND HENRY GAYLE HUDSON, 0F WILSON, OKLAHOMA ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF T0 JONES EVERETT MACHINE 00., OF .AIRDMOBE, OKLA- HOMA TESTING TOOL Application filed April 30,

This invention relates to a device for use in testing oil, gas and water wells, 'one of the objects being to provide a simple and accurate tool of this character which can be produced at lower cost than devices heretofore devised for similar purposes, it being possible, by one operation, to make a complete test at any desired point in the well with much less danger than has heretofore attended the use of such devices.

A further object is to provide the device with novel means for packing tightly therearound so as to completely out off the flow of fluid along the outside of the tool.

A further object is to provide a testing device which does not necessitate lifting the fluid above the packing and is therefore less dangerous to operate than heretofore because, simply by lifting the pipe which supports the tool, a valve will be automatically closed in the tool. A still further object is to provide a tool which does not necessitate the formation of a rat hole, it being possible to get the desired results at any point in the hole made by the usual drilling operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the upper portion of the testing tool in position in a well prior to the packing operation.

Figure 1a is a similar view through the lower portion of the device, the stop or anchor pipe being shown in contact with the end of the well.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a hollow tapered mandrel the upper end portion of which is pref- 1931. Serial No. 534,118.

erablycylindrical as shown at 2 and provided so as to extend into and engage a collar 6 formed on a swedge or bushing 7 for attachment to a drill pipe.

The lower or small end of the mandrel has an interior annular shoulder 8 and this shoulder extends around a central opening 9, the wall of which is screw-threaded for the reception of a pipe 10. Opposed openings 11 are formed in the mandrel 1 outside of pipe 10, these openings being in communication with the interior of the mandrel and with the space outside "of the pipe 10. A A supporting plate 12 is provided with a central opening 13 through which the pipe 10 extends and this plate has a concentric depending flange 14 which is exteriorly screw-threaded for engagement by a coupling sleeve 15. By means of this sleeve a stop or anchor pipe 16 can be joined to the plate I 12. This pipe can be of any desired length and is formed with apertures 17. The lower end of the pipe is preferably closed by a plug 18 to prevent sand or the like from pressing upwardly into the pipe/when it is brought against the bottom B of a well W.

Pipe 10 is engaged at its lower end by a coupling sleeve 19 which joins it to an apertured cap 20 supported in the stop pipe 16. Thus fluid, whether it be oil, gas orwater, will be free to flow through openings'17 into pipe 16 and thence through the apertured cap 20 into the pipe 10.

Mounted on the supporting plate 12 is a packing sleeve 21 formed of rubber or other tight engagement with the wall of the well,

thereby producing a tight seal.

The shoulder 3 in the mandrel constitutes a seat for a ring 23 supporting a disk 24.

It is preferred to interpose a gasket 25 be tween the ring and disk for use as a seal. Disk 24 is held tightly in position by a threaded ring 26 which engages the threaded portion 4 of the mandrel.

Disk 24 has a central opening 27 and at the lower end of this opening is a tapered valve seat 28. The upper end of the opening 27 is flared as at 29 so as to communicate with apertures 30 formed in a guide plate 31 which is seated in a recess 32 provided therefor in disk 24. The apertures 30 open into a compartment A in the upper portion of the mandrel.

In the guide plate is mounted a sleeve 33 the lower enlarged end 34 of which is seated within but spaced from the wall of opening 27. Slidable in this sleeve is a valve stem 35 provided witha tapered annular shoulder 36 which normally engages a tapered seat 37 formed about an opening 38 in a valve 39. This valve is adapted normally to engage the seat 28, it being held thereto by a spring 40.which is mounted on sleeve 33. One end of this spring bears upon the abutment plate 31 while the other end thrusts against a washer 42 which, in turn, is restrained by nuts 43 engaging the ilpper end of stem 35.

Because of the constant tension of spring 40 the tapered shoulder 36, which constitutes a supplemental valve, is normally pressed against its seat 37 while valve 39. is normally pressed against its seat 28.

The supplemental valve 36 has an extension 44 and pivoted in this extension at 45 is an equalizer 46 to the end portions of which are pivotally connected oppositely extending levers 47. These levers are fulcrumed in' brackets 48 depending from disk 24 and the outer ends of the levers have elongated fingers 49 pivotally connected to them. The lower ends of these fingers are slightly ofl'set out of alinement as shown at 50 so as to extend normally along substantially parallel lines and project through and downwardly below the openings 11 into the space between pipe 10 and the wall of bore 22.

When making a test a suflicient amount of pipe 16 is connected to plate 12-to stop the plate 12 at the point where the test is to be made, the tool being limited in its downward movement by contact of the lower end of pipe 16 with the bottom of the well. As the tool is supported by a pipe connected to the swedge 7, there will be no expansion of the packin sleeve 21 while the tool is being lowere However when the tool is brought to the lower limit of its movement, the weight of the pipe thereabove will force-the mandrel 1 downwardly relative to the packing sleeve 21. This will cause said sleeve to expand radially into tight engagement with the Wall of the well, thereby preventing flow of fluid upwardly or downwardly along the outer side of the tool.

As the mandrel 1 moves downwardly the lower ends 50 of the fingers 49 come into contact with plate'12. This results in actuation of levers 47 the inner ends of which will swing downwardly. During this action the valve 36 will first be disengaged from its seat 37 aand fluid will escape upwardly through the opening 38 to relieve upward pressure on the valve 39. This last valve will subsequently be opened by pressure of the end 34 of sleeve 33 thereagainst. The time interval during which fluid under pressure can escape upwardly around valve 36 will depend on the distance between valve 39 and flange 34. This distance is regulated by adjustment of the nut 43 on stem 35. The value of valve 36 as a means for relieving valve 39 from excessive upward pressure will, of course, depend upon the relative areas of the two valves. The fluid will rise within the tool through opening 27 and from the height that the fluid rises in the tool and in the pipe thereabove in a given time, the operator can determine the production of the well at the point of test. When it is desired to remove the tool it is lifted by means of the pipe connected thereto and as soon as it starts upwardly the fingers withdraw from contact with plate 12 and the valves snap shut.

A bumper ring 51 is mounted on the mandrel at the lower part of its cylindrical portion 2 and acts to limit the movement of the mandrel downwardly into the packing sleeve 21. It also acts to protect the packing sleeve while it is being pulled with the tool out of the hole.

By means of the nuts 43 the compression of the spring 40 can be varied so that the desired amount of fluid can be retained by the valves.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool of the class described including a tapered mandrel having a compartment therein provided with an inlet opening, a pipe extending from the mandrel having an inlet, an expansible packing sleeve supported about the mandrel, a slidable'connection between said sleeve and the pipe, means connected to the sleeve for limiting the downward movement of the sleeve within a well, said sleeve being expansible into sealing contact with the wall of a well by the mandrel when lowered relative thereto, and means within the mandrel and extended outside of the pipe for operation by the downward movement of the mandrel relative to the packing sleeve for establishin communication between the lower end of t e mandrel and the compartment.

2. A device of the class described including a supporting element, means depending therefrom for limiting the downward movement of said element in a well, an expansible packing sleeve mounted on said element, a tapered hollow mandrel opening downwardly through said element and shiftable relative thereto to expand the packing sleeve into sealing contact with the wall of a well, a compartment in the mandrel having an inlet, a valve normally closing the inlet, and means in the mandrel and located entirely above the element supporting the packing sleeve, for actuation'by the movement of the mandrel in one direction relative to said element for opening the valve.

3. A device of the class described including a supporting element, means depending therefrom for limiting the downward movement of said element in a well, an expansible packing sleeve mounted on said element, a tapered hollow mandrel opening downwardly through said element and shiftable relative thereto to expand the packing sleeve into sealing contact with the wall of a well, a compartment in the mandrel having an inlet, a valve normally closing the inlet, means within the mandrel and above the supporting element for actuation by the movement of the mandrel in one direction relative to said element for opening .the valve, and means for automatically closing the valve when the mandrel is moved in the opposite direction relative to the sleeve.

4. A tool of theclass described including an expansible packing sleeve, means connected thereto for limiting the downward movement'of the sleeve in a well, a tapered hollow mandrel projecting into the sleeve, separate means movable with the mandrel for limit- 'ing the relative upward and downward'movement respectively of the mandrel and sleeve,

a compartment having an inlet, a mainvalve for closing the inlet, said valve having an opening and a seat, a supplemental valve normally closed against the seat on the main va'lve, yielding means for holding the valves normally upon their respective seats, and meansfoperated by the mandrel when approaching the limit of its downward movement for opening the supplemental and the main valves successively, said means includingta lever connected to the supplemental I valve and a finger depending from the lever and projecting from the lower end of the mandrel.

In testimony that we claim the fore oing 5 as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures.

LOU BRESWELL HEARLE. HENRY GAYLE HUDSON. 

